การรับ Barcode แรกของคุณ: คู่มือทีละขั้นตอน
A practical walkthrough for businesses obtaining their first GS1 company prefix, generating GTINs, and printing production-ready barcodes.
Getting Your First Barcode: A Step-by-Step Guide
Whether you are launching a new product or bringing an existing product into retail, you need barcodes. This guide walks through the entire process from registration to printing production-ready labels.
Step 1: Join GS1
Visit your local gs1-member-organization/" class="glossary-term-link" data-term="GS1 Member Organization" data-definition="National GS1 affiliates assigning company prefixes locally." data-category="Standards & Regulations">GS1 Member Organization (GS1 US at gs1us.org, GS1 UK at gs1uk.org, etc.) and apply for membership. You will receive a GS1 Company Prefix, which forms the base of all your product numbers.
Costs (GS1 US example): - Initial fee: $250 (for up to 10 products) to $10,500 (for 100,000+ products) - Annual renewal: $50-$2,100 depending on prefix capacity - Pricing varies by country and by company revenue
Step 2: Choose Your Prefix Length
Your prefix length determines how many products you can number:
| Prefix Digits | Item Reference Digits | Products |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 5 | 100,000 |
| 8 | 4 | 10,000 |
| 9 | 3 | 1,000 |
| 10 | 2 | 100 |
Most small businesses start with a 10-digit prefix (100 products). You can upgrade later if needed.
Step 3: Assign GTINs
For each product variation (size, color, flavor), assign a unique item reference number. Combine your company prefix + item reference + check digit to create the GTIN. Use GS1's free tools to calculate check digits, or use the Check Digit Calculator.
Important rules: - Each unique product gets its own GTIN. A 250ml and 500ml bottle are different GTINs - Never reuse a GTIN, even for discontinued products (wait at least 48 months) - Multipacks get their own GTIN, different from the individual item
Step 4: Choose Your Barcode Format
For most retail products: - Standard items: EAN-13 (worldwide) or UPC-A (North America) - Very small items: EAN-8 (requires special GS1 approval) - Outer cases: ITF-14 for case identification - Variable weight items: GS1 DataBar for fresh produce
Step 5: Generate Barcode Artwork
Use barcode generation software that produces vector output (EPS, SVG, or PDF). Avoid generating barcodes as raster images (PNG, JPG) for print, as they may not meet resolution requirements.
Options include: - GS1 US Data Hub (included with membership) - Professional software like BarTender or NiceLabel - Online tools for small batches
Step 6: Size and Place Correctly
Follow GS1 sizing guidelines: - Target size: EAN-13 at 100% magnification is 37.29mm x 25.93mm - Magnification range: 80% to 200% - Placement: On the back of the package, bottom right preferred - Quiet zones: Minimum 11X left, 7X right
Step 7: Verify Before Printing
Before committing to a full print run, verify your barcode artwork meets quality standards. A professional verifier grades the barcode against ISO/IEC 15416" data-definition="International standard grading linear barcode print quality A-F." data-category="Printing & Quality">ISO/IEC 15416. Minimum grade C is required for GS1 compliance, but aim for B or higher.
Step 8: Test in the Real World
Print sample labels and test them with the actual scanners your retail partners use. Verify that the scanned number matches your product database entry and that the POS system returns the correct price and description.